Cooling Processors

Cooling Processors

For Intel and AMD processors, three main platforms have become the most common: Socket 370, Socket 478, and Socket 462 (Socket A). The number in the standard name specifies the number of contacts for each processor. These standards are not compatible; for example, Intel Pentium III complying with the Socket 370 standard can't be installed on a motherboard with any other socket. For each type of the processor, there are also specific standards for coolers.

Intel Pentium III, Intel Celeron (Coppermine and Tualatin) and VIA C3C are compatible with Socket 370 systems. AMD Duron and AMD Athlon based on the Thunderbird, Palomino, Thoroughbred, and Barton cores are oriented toward Socket A. Socket 370 and Socket A have the same dimensions. However, standards recommended by AMD to motherboard manufacturers are different from similar specifications created by Intel.

The Socket A slot has three special ledges at the front and rear sides for fastening the cooler. Initially, it was assumed that Athlon processors would be equipped with powerful coolers that would require a rigid fastening because a ledge might break under the cooler. Besides this, AMD recommended that motherboard manufacturers leave free zones to the right and left of the socket. These zones must not contain any elements that might create an obstacle for installing a rectangular cooler whose length exceeds 55 mm (the width of the CPU socket). Thus, a cooler with dimensions of 60 × 80 mm and a height limited only by the case size can be installed on AMD processors.

Most motherboards for Athlon and Duron have four holes around the socket. This provides another method of installing the cooler — fastened to the motherboard, rather than to the socket. On one hand, this method is more reliable. On the other hand, to replace the cooler or processor, it will be necessary to remove the motherboard.

Athlon processors generate intense heat even if they are not overclocked. Because of this, developers of coolers for contemporary processors actively use copper in their heatsinks. Some manufacturers, attempting to increase the cooler efficiency, coat the copper heatsink with nickel, silver, or another material with high thermal conductance. Fans installed on such coolers usually have dimensions of 60 × 60 × 25 mm, although recently, larger models with lengths of 70 mm or 80 mm are becoming popular. Such coolers have a lower rotation speed and produce dramatically lower noise levels.

Coolers for Socket 370 processors are fastened using two socket clips. Usually, coolers have cross-section dimensions from 50 × 50 mm to 60 × 60 mm. As a rule, Intel Pentium III processors emit less heat than AMD Athlon processors; therefore, they are easier to cool. In most cases, coolers with heatsinks made entirely from aluminum can be used with Pentium III. Heatsinks with copper bases are rare, because aluminum or bimetallic heatsinks are far cheaper than ones made entirely from copper.

In computers based on Pentium 4 and Celeron, complying with the Socket 478 standard, the cooler is fastened to a special lever on the motherboard (Figs. 10.4–10.6). Power consumption of the Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz processor is about 64 W; for Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz, this parameter is about 80 W.

Figure 10.4: Socket 478 slot and levers for fastening a cooler

Figure 10.5: Cooler for a Pentium 4 3 GHz processor installed on the levers on the motherboard

Figure 10.6: Cooler for Pentium 4 3 GHz (underside view)

Coolers for Socket 478 Processors

Because CPU coolers ensure stability and reliability of operation for the entire computer system, and often provide additional possibilities for overclocking, it is necessary to choose the right cooler. The next few sections provide brief descriptions of the most popular cooler models and the results of testing them.

GlacialTech Igloo 4200 and Igloo 4200 Pro

GlacialTech was founded relatively recently. Nevertheless, GlacialTech coolers for Pentium 4 or Celeron processors, complying with the Socket 478 standard, have become common. User reviews published on the Internet and in numerous print magazines indicate that GlacialTech manufactures high-quality coolers. Coolers such as Igloo 4200 and Igloo 4200 Pro are supplied in box versions. (These boxes are rather small and made of white cardboard.)

Igloo 4200 and Igloo 4200 Pro coolers have almost identical designs and differ only in the rotation speeds of their fans. Both coolers have 83 × 70 × 35 mm aluminum heatsinks manufactured with pressing technology. Each heatsink has 29 fins, 15 of which are 27 mm high and 14 of which have a height of 24 mm. Fins on the heatsink are alternated by the height; there is one low fin between every two high fins. GlacialTech engineers say that this helps distribute the air from the fan more efficiently (Fig. 10.7).

Figure 10.7: Igloo 4200 cooler from GlacialTech

In Igloo coolers, the silver thermal compound is already applied to the base of the heatsink and covers a square area the size of a Pentium 4 processor complying with the Socket 478 standard. The procedures for installing or removing the cooler are straightforward.

The fan in an Igloo 4200 or Igloo 4200 Pro cooler is not placed in the center of the heatsink. Its developers argue that the fan center, which covers a so-called dead space, must not coincide with the position of the processor core. The reason is obvious: In the dead space below the fan center, there is practically no airflow. If the fan is offset from the CPU core, its propeller blades will be located directly above the core, and air will be directed to the part of heatsink located above the hottest spot on the CPU.

The fan used in Igloo 4200 is unusual; its dimensions are 60 × 60 × 20 mm. Usually, fans with a surface area of 60 × 60 mm have a height of 10 mm or 25 mm. The fan is connected to the motherboard via a three-pin Molex connector. For fastening, rotor ball bearings are used.

In Igloo 4200, the nominal (stated by the manufacturer) rotation speed is 3,000 rpm, the performance is 13.3 cfm, and the noise level is 25 dB. Igloo 4200 Pro is faster (4,800 rpm), has higher performance (22.8 cfm), and is equipped with a noisier fan (35 dB). GlacialTech recommends both coolers for use with Pentium 4 processors running at the frequencies up to 2.4 GHz.

GlacialTech Igloo 4300

This model of the cooler (Fig. 10.8) is supplied as a retail box version, in a colorful box. Installation instructions and technical parameters of the product are included.

Figure 10.8: Igloo 4300 cooler from GlacialTech

Igloo 4300 has the same heatsink as Igloo 4200, also prepared with the silver-based thermal compound. The fins of this heatsink also have different heights. The only difference of the 4300 model from the two previous ones is the fan: In Igloo 4300, the fan has dimensions of 70 × 70 × 15 mm. Like the 4200 and 4200 Pro models, the 4300 model uses ball bearings to suspend the rotor. The nominal rotation speed is 5,000 rpm, and the fan has a performance of 30 cfm. The noise level of this model is 37 dB. Igloo 4300 is recommended for Pentium 4 processors running at 2.4 GHz or higher.

GlacialTech Diamond 4000

The Diamond 4000 cooler is similar to Igloo 4200. This cooler also is supplied in a small white cardboard box. In contrast to Igloo 4200, the technical parameters of the cooler are labeled on the box, along with some diagrams of its fan operation.

Diamond 4000 uses a fan with automatic temperature control (Fig. 10.9). This means that the rotation speed of the fan, its performance, and its noise level are not constant: They depend on the temperature of the ambient air at the point where the thermal sensor built into the fan is installed.

Figure 10.9: Diamond 4000 cooler from GlacialTech

In the Diamond 4000 cooler, the thermal sensor is installed in the lower part of the fan. This sensor is constantly hit by air moving from the fan. The higher the temperature of this air, the faster the rotation speed. This approach to thermal control is not always correct: The air temperature below the fan is usually different from the CPU core temperature, which is the main parameter. Consequently, the fan rotation speed is often either insufficient or excessive. Besides this, the fan rotation speed strongly depends on the temperature of the ambient air within the computer case, the way its ventilation is organized, the dimensions of the system unit case, the amount of room within it, and the number of components installed on the computer.

The fan used in Diamond 4000 has dimensions of 60 × 60 × 20 mm. GlacialTech says that at an ambient air temperature below 25°C, its rotation speed will be approximately 2,700 rpm. This parameter will grow with the temperature and, at 40°C, it will reach 4,800 rpm. The noise level will change from 23 dB to 35 dB, and performance will increase from 12.4 cfm to 22.8 cfm.

The manufacturer recommends using Diamond 4000 with Pentium 4 processors running at the frequencies up to 3.06 GHz.

Titan TTC-W2T

Titan is one of the best-known manufacturers in the cooling device market. It produces coolers ranging from simple and cheap models to sophisticated and expensive ones.

The standard supply of the TTC-W2T cooler includes a syringe with silver thermal compound. Currently, Titan supplies this thermal compound with most of its products.

The aluminum heatsink, with dimensions of 70 × 70 × 40 mm, has fins of different heights, from 20 mm to 35 mm. The 2 outermost large fins have 11 small fins that are 6 mm high (Fig. 10.10).

Figure 10.10: TTC-W2T cooler from Titan

The surface of the heatsink base is polished so that it shines like a mirror. This base is 12 mm wider than the heatsink. This left space to install two steel clamps for fastening the cooler to the motherboard.

The standard supply of TTC-W2T includes a fan with dimensions of 60 × 60 × 10 mm. The rotation speed is 4,500 rpm, nominal performance is 19 cfm, and the noise level is 31 dB. The fan is connected to the motherboard via a three-pin Molex connector. Slide bearings are used to suspend the rotor.

Titan TTC-W5TB

This cooler, also named "Silver Glacier," is one of the expensive models (Fig. 10.11). Titan positions it as a model for experienced users.

Figure 10.11: TTC-W5TB cooler from Titan

The cooler has an entirely aluminum heatsink with dimensions of 83 × 67 × 37 mm. The fins are very thin, nearly flat, and have a smooth surface without scratches or imperfections. The heatsink base, like the rest of the surface, is smooth and mirror-like.

TTC-W5TB is equipped with a shiny fan whose dimensions are 70 × 70 × 25 mm. The fan is suspended on one ball bearing and one slide bearing. Like the GlacialTech Diamond 4000, this cooler has automatic temperature control over the fan rotation speed. In contrast to GlacialTech cooler, the temperature sensor of TTC-W5TB is installed on the heatsink base. This allows a precise reaction to the CPU temperature. Depending on the temperature of the heatsink base, the rotation speed can change from 1,900 rpm at 35°C (with performance of 19.34 cfm and a noise level of 22 dB) to 3,320 rpm at 80°C (with performance of 33.8 cfm and a noise level of 28 dB). Titan recommends using TTC-W5TB with Pentium 4 processors running at the frequencies up to 2.66 GHz.

Thermaltake Volcano 478 for Pentium 4

Thermaltake was one of the first companies to supply coolers for Socket 478 processors. One such model is the Volcano 478 cooler (Fig. 10.12). This model is positioned as a cheap cooler for Pentium 4.

Figure 10.12: Volcano 478 cooler from Thermaltake

This model employs an aluminum heatsink with dimensions of 70 × 70 × 45 mm and a base with the length of 85 mm. The heatsink is manufactured using the pressing technology. Its fins are relatively thick. The thickness of the base is 10 mm.

Volcano 478 employs Berguist 225U material as the heat-exchange interface. This material is a polymeric heat-conductive padding. When heated, this padding softens and fills all the gaps between the CPU core and the heatsink base. However, this heat-exchange interface is cheap, and experience has shown that no thermal padding can replace a high-quality thermal compound that includes silver particles. Because of this, to obtain better results, it is recommended that you replace this thermal padding with thermal paste.

This cooler is equipped with a 70 × 70 × 15 mm fan hanging from ball bearings. Its nominal power is 2.5 W, its rotation speed is 4,800 rpm, its performance is 30 cfm, and its noise level is 37 dB.

A noise level of 37 dB is rather high for a cooler intended for Pentium 4, especially because Thermaltake recommends using this model with processors running at the frequencies up to 2.0 GHz. Volcano 478 is a rather old model. Nevertheless, it is common and still available in computer stores.

Thermaltake Dragon 478

Initially, Dragon 478 was an expensive and prestigious high-end model. Because of this, it is offered in a beautiful plastic box. Besides the cooler, the box contains an adapter for connecting the three-pin Molex connector of the fan to the four-pin PC-Plug, a packet of thermal compound, and sticker with the Thermaltake logo intended for the CPU case. The first supplies of Dragon 478 also included a three-position rotation speed controller. Today this component is often missing.

The cooler has an oval heatsink with the fins positioned at an angle to the airflow, as in the Golden Orb series (Fig. 10.13).

Figure 10.13: Dragon 478 cooler from Thermaltake

The heatsink of Dragon 478 has dimensions of 80 × 67 × 35 mm and comprises a copper base and aluminum fins. The fins of the cooler branch off radially from the base. The upper part of the base has a needle-shaped form that represents a small copper heatsink. The only drawback of this form is its location: under the fan center and, therefore, not hit by direct airflow.

The fan of the Dragon 478 cooler has dimensions of 70 × 70 × 25 mm. Its power is 8.4 W, its rotation speed is 6,000 rpm., its performance is 49.4 cfm, and its noise level is 43 dB. Because of its high power, it is dangerous to install this cooler on some motherboards; the poser elements might fail at such a high workload. Because of this, Thermaltake engineers have equipped the fan with two Molex connectors. One of them (the one with two wires) supplies power to the electric motor of the fan; the second one (with one wire) is connected to the CPU-Fan slot on the motherboard and passes to the motherboard information on the fan rotation speed. Thus, the fan can be connected to the computer's power supply unit via the PC-Plug-Molex adapter, supplied with the cooler, and it will continue to inform the motherboard of the fan rotation speed.

Because of the powerful fan, Thermaltake recommends Dragon 478 for use with Pentium 4 processors running at frequencies up to 3.06 GHz.

Testing

The main characteristics of the previously described coolers are summarized in Table 10.2.

Table 10.2: Parameters of Coolers for Socket 478 Processors

Cooler

Heatsink dimensions (mm)

Fandimensions(mm)

Rotation speed (rpm)

Airflow(cfm)

Noiselevel(dB)

Price ($)

Igloo 4200

83 × 70 × 35

60 × 60 × 20

3,000

13.3

25

8.50

Igloo 4200 Pro

83 × 70 × 35

60 × 60 × 20

4,800

22.8

35

10.00

Igloo 4300

83 × 70 × 35

70 × 70 × 15

4,800

30.0

37

13.00

Diamond 4000

83 × 70 × 35

60 × 60 × 20

2,700–4,800

12.4–28.0

23–35

17.00

TTC-W2T

70 × 70 × 40

60 × 60 × 10

4,500

19.0

31

8.50

TTC-W5TB

83 × 67 × 37

70 × 70 × 25

1,900–3,320

19.3–33.8

22–28

10.00

Volcano 478

70 × 70 × 45

70 × 70 × 15

4,800

30.0

37

8.50

Dragon 478

80 × 67 × 35

70 × 70 × 25

6,000

49.4

43

18.50

The Abit IT7-MAX2 motherboard, based on the Intel 845E chipset, and the Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz processor, based on the Northwood core, were used in the course of testing. The processor operated at a nominal voltage of 1.5 V. The temperature and fan rotation speed were taken using Winbond Hardware Doctor 2.70. The air temperature was 23°C (73°F).

The coolers were tested in two stages.

In the first stage, the Windows XP operating system was booted, and the Winbond Hardware Doctor was started. The computer remained idle for 30 minutes, after which temperature readings were taken.

In the second stage, the Burn-in module of the SiSoftware Sandra 2002 test was started under Windows XP. This module constantly started the CPU Multimedia Benchmark test. After 60 cycles of the test, the CPU temperature was registered. At this stage, the maximum workload temperature was taken.

For comparison, the standard Intel cooler was used, which is supplied with all retail versions of Intel processors. In Fig. 10.14, its parameters are labeled Intel Stock Cooler. For the fans with temperature control over fan rotation speed, the maximum rotation speed achieved during the test also was registered.

Figure 10.14: Results of testing coolers for Socket 478 processors

When testing different coolers, temperature measurements within the case were performed. This task was accomplished using the built-in thermal sensor on the motherboard. This temperature is also shown in Fig. 10.14.

The lowest temperatures were achieved by the GlacialTech coolers, and absolute winner in this category is Igloo 4300. The worst maximum workload temperatures occurred with Titan coolers. When using these models, the CPU temperature reached 67.5°C (153.5°F).

Besides the performance, some other cooler properties were evaluated, including noise level and the convenience of installation and removal. Each parameter was rated subjectively on a scale of 0 to 5 (where 5 is ideal). The final ratings of the tested devices are summarized in Table 10.3.

Table 10.3: Ratings of the Tested Coolers

Cooler

Appearance

Convenienceof installation

Convenienceof removal

Supply

Noiselevel

Totalrating

TTC-W5TB

5

3

4

4

5

4.2

Igloo 4200

4

4

5

2

5

4.0

Diamond 4000

4

4

5

2

5

4.0

Igloo 4200 Pro

4

4

5

2

4

3.8

Igloo 4300

4

4

5

2

3

3.6

Dragon 478

5

3

1

5

0

2.8

TTC-W2T

3

2

2

3

3

2.6

Volcano 478

2

3

3

1

4

2.6

Coolers for Socket A Processors

As previously described, computers oriented toward AMD Socket A processors have become popular.

Fanner Speeze 5R266B1H3 (EagleStream)

Fanner, whose main fields of activity are developing, manufacturing, and selling computer coolers, has two departments. Spire is related to expensive and high-quality products; Speeze is dedicated to cheaper models.

The differences between Spire and Speeze models often are minimal. Frequently, the same cooler model has two modifications: with a fan on ball bearings, or with a fan on slide bearings. The first modification is supplied under the Spire trademark; the second one is available under the Speeze trademark.

The 5R266B1H3 cooler supplied by Speeze is also known as EagleStream.

This cooler is supplied in large plastic pack, which also contains an installation manual in nine languages. On the back of the box are photographs illustrating the installation process. The box says this cooler corresponds to the ISO 9002 standards. However, this cooler is not in the lists of coolers that AMD recommends for Athlon XP or Duron.

The cooler comprises an aluminum heatsink with dimensions of 60 × 70 × 45 mm. Its 27 fins are relatively thin, approximately 1 mm (Fig. 10.15). The base of the heatsink has a width of 10 mm.

Figure 10.15: Speeze 5R266B1H3 (EagleStream) cooler from Fanner

On the top of the heatsink a plastic frame is installed to which the fan (60 × 60 × 10 mm) is mounted. The fan has 11 propeller blades. This fan has a nominal power of 3.36 W. Despite this high wattage, the fan rotation speed is quite low and does not exceed 4,800 rpm. The performance of the fan is 22.1 cfm, and the noise level is 30 dB. This fan has two ball bearings for suspending the rotor. It uses a standard connection to the motherboard — via a three-pin Molex connector. From above, the propeller is protected by a grid. The presence of a protective grid on the fan is one of the ISO 9002 standard requirements.

The EagleStream cooler has a steel fastening clamp that hitches all six ledges of the processor socket. The cooler is recommended for Athlon processors operating at speeds up to 1,400 MHz and for Athlon XP processors up to 2800+.

EverCool ND18-715CA

This cooler is supplied in a plain cardboard box, which also contains a pack with thermal compound.

The ND18-715CA cooler has an aluminum heatsink. The heatsink base has the same dimensions as the processor slot. The heatsink widens from bottom to top, increasing its surface area and providing the capability of installing a small fan on its top (Fig. 10.16).

Figure 10.16: ND18-715CA cooler from EverCool

The heatsink has fins of different height. The fins are rather thin — less than 1 mm. From the inner side, the heatsink base has a bulging shape, and its thickness reaches 12 mm. When considering trapezoidal heatsinks, it makes sense to use terms such as "maximum size" and to measure dimensions at the upper part of the heatsink, where values are the largest. For the cooler under consideration, the maximum heatsink dimensions are 70 × 80 × 43 mm.

A 48 × 50 mm copper plate is mounted onto the heatsink base. This plate, in contrast to the copper cylinder of the EagleStream cooler, almost completely covers the surface of the aluminum heatsink base. Consequently, it distributes and dissipates the heat emitted by the processor core better than a cylinder. Interestingly, the surface of this copper plate is not polished like those of most other EverCool coolers.

A fan with dimensions of 70 × 70 × 15 mm is installed on top of the ND18-715CA heatsink. The nominal power of this fan is 2.16 W; the nominal rotation speed is 3,500 rpm. The fan performance is 27.96 cfm; the noise level is 28 dB. According to the cooler marking ("S" stands for slide bearings) the cooler uses slide bearings for the rotor.

Newer EverCool models for Athlon XP and Duron processors use a steel clamp to fasten the cooler, which is clutched at all six clips on the socket. This design securely fastens the cooler. The ND18-715CA cooler is recommended by the manufacturer for all Pentium III and Celeron processors complying with the Socket 370 standard, as well as for all Duron and Athlon XP processors up to 2800+.

Neng Tyi KN02

The KN02 model is intended exclusively for cooling AMD processors complying with the Socket A standard (Fig. 10.17). This cooler is supplied in a white cardboard box without any labels or markings.

Figure 10.17: KN02 cooler from Neng Tyi

The box doesn't contain an installation manual. Besides the cooler, the box contains a small syringe with thermal compound. The thermal compound has a gold tinge. This is a special thermal paste, which is 5% silver and 10% copper.

The heatsink in this cooler has dimensions of 62.5 × 80 × 35 mm. The heatsink has 26 flat fins mounted onto the base. The manufacturer says the fins are made from material that is 99.95% aluminum; this means that they do not contain replenishers or admixtures. In contrast to many heatsinks of similar design, the fin height is inconsistent. At the edges of the heatsink, the fins have the same height; as they near the center, the fin height decreases, then increases again at the center, below the fan motor (Fig. 10.18). As a result, there is free space below the fan propeller. This extra space makes it possible to preserve the high speed of airflow at the fan outlet and to decrease the noise level.

Figure 10.18: KN02 heatsink from Neng Tyi

The heatsink base is made of copper and coated with nickel. Generally, nickel has lower thermal conductance than copper. Therefore, at first, it doesn't make any sense to cover copper with nickel. Nevertheless, this coating is thin, and it prevents surface corrosion of the copper base.

On top of the heatsink of the KN02 cooler, a Y.S. Tech fan is installed. The fan's dimensions are 60 × 60 × 25 mm, its nominal power is 2.16 W, its rotation speed is 4,200 rpm, its performance is 26.1 cfm, and its noise level is 35 dB. Ball bearings are used to suspend the rotor. Fans manufactured by Y.S. Tech are considered to be among the best. Because of this, they are used in expensive coolers. Y.S. Tech claims a high value of the Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) parameter — about 75,000 hours. For fans with two ball bearings, this value usually is 50,000 hours.

The KN02 cooler is installed on top of the processor socket and fastened with a steel clamp against all six special-purpose clips. The clamp has a small clip that allows you to install or remove the cooler without using a screwdriver. If manual installation is inconvenient, the clamp has special catches for installing the cooler using a screwdriver.

The KN02 cooler is recommended by the manufacturer for the entire line of Duron processors and for Athlon XP up to 2800+.

ElanVital FSCUCG9C-6FC

ElanVital is the member of the Asus Group. It specializes in manufacturing computer cases, power units, and coolers. ElanVital coolers are often labeled and sold under the Asus trademark.

The ElanVital FSCUG9C-6FC cooler is supplied in a small cardboard box, which doesn't contain anything in addition to the cooler — not even an installation manual. The box only has a graph of the dependence between the cooler noise level and CPU temperature painted on it. The FSCUG9C-6FC model has a fan with automatic regulation of its rotation speed, depending on the temperature measured by the built-in thermal sensor (Fig. 10.19).

Figure 10.19: FSCUG9C-6FC cooler from ElanVital

The design of FSCUG9C-6FC is rather original. The heatsink in particular is distinguished by its unusual design. It comprises a copper base to which fins are glued, which are formed by two folded aluminum plates. The fins are attached to the base using a heat-conducting glue. The usage of glue is a drawback; if contact between the fins and the heatsink base is poor, the heat won't be transmitted effectively to the fins, and cooler efficiency will decrease. Besides this, when using thermal glue, the quality of heat contact between the fins and the heatsink base will be different for different production lots. Therefore, coolers of the same model but from different production lots will have different efficiencies.

The heatsink base in this model is not flat, in contrast to Socket A coolers from other manufacturers. The FSCUG9C-6FC base has a protruding area in the center. The cooler has contact only with the processor core and doesn't adjoin damper pads at the surface of Athlon, Athlon XP, or Duron. As a result, when installing this cooler, there is a danger of damaging the processor core. Such a cooler hardly will be recommended by AMD. Surprisingly, ElanVital, which has considerable experience designing and manufacturing coolers, has recommended this model for AMD processors.

The FSCUG9C-6FC model uses a thermal plastic lining as a thermal interface. It is expedient to replace this thermal lining with a layer of thermal compound.

On this cooler, a fan with dimensions of 60 × 60 × 10 mm and a nominal power of 3 W is installed. Although the cooler can control the fan rotation speed, the fan has no full-featured temperature regulator. It is connected by a normal three-pin Molex connector to a small control unit mounted on the side wall of the heatsink. The frequency changes within relatively narrow range, from 3,200 rpm to 4,800 rpm. Accordingly, the noise level changes from 29 dB to 36.5 dB.

Fastening of the FSCUG9C-6FC cooler is inherited from earlier models intended for Socket 370 processors. The steel clamp of the fastening clutches only two clips of the processor slot.

ElanVital recommends the FSCUG9C-6FC model for cooling Pentium III, Celeron, Athlon, and Duron processors with the frequencies up to 1,500 MHz.

Testing

The main characteristics of the previously described Socket A coolers are summarized in Table 10.4.

Table 10.4: Parameters of Coolers for Socket A Processors

Cooler

Heatsink dimensions (mm)

Fan dimensions (mm)

Rotation speed (rpm)

Airflow (cfm)

Noise level (dB)

Speeze 5R266B1H3

60 × 70 × 45

60 × 60 × 15

4,800

22.10

30.0

EverCool ND18-715CA

70 × 80 × 43

70 × 70 × 15

3,500

27.96

28.0

Neng Tyi KN02

62.5 × 80 × 35

60 × 60 × 25

4,200

26.10

35.0

ElanVital FSCUG9C-6FC

66.6 × 58 × 40

60 × 60 × 10

3,200–4,800

14.20–21.20

29.0–36.5

The configuration of the system used for testing these coolers is as follows:

Processor — AMD Athlon XP 2200+ (Thoroughbred)

Motherboard — Epox 8K9A (VIA KT400)

Hard disk — IBM DTLA 15 GB, 7,200 rpm

Video adapter — Albatron GeForce4 MX440-8x, 32 MB

Sound card — SoundBlaster Live! Value

CD-ROM drive — CD-ROM 24X

Case — InWin-J535

Operating system — Windows XP Professional

The values of the temperature and the fan rotation speed were obtained using Motherboard Monitor 5.20.

The temperature of the ambient air during testing was 21°C (70°F).

The standard thermal interface was removed from all tested coolers, and the Thermaltake thermal paste was used instead of it.

After booting the operating system, the computer remained idle for 10 minutes. During this time, the temperature within the case became stable. After that, the Burn-In Wizard of the SiSoftware Sandra 2003 ran for 10 minutes. This module ensured 100% workload for the processor. After accomplishing the test, the temperature was monitored for 10 minutes while the system cooled, returning to the stable temperature mode within the system unit case.

The ElanVital FSCUG9C-6FC cooler was tested in two modes: with temperature control (standard mode) and without temperature control.

As can be seen from Fig. 10.20, the worst results were shown by the ElanVital cooler. However, it is still possible to improve its efficiency by disabling the thermal control over the fan rotation speed. The best results were shown by Neng Tyi KN02, although this cooler, during the final 10 minutes of the test, was unable to decrease the CPU temperature to the value that it had before Burn-In was started.